In high volume photographic printers, features are known for flattening a processed film strip to facilitate printing. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,874 discloses a film flattening apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 1 of this description. Such known apparatus 10 is particularly suitable for use in photofinishing apparatus in which the film enters and leaves along paths disposed in essentially the same plane as an exposure aperture. One such photofinishing apparatus is a high speed printer currently available from Eastman Kodak Company under the designation KODAK CLAS 35 II Color Printer.
Apparatus 10 is useful with processed or developed photographic film 12 comprising a thin web 14 with edges 16, 18; frames 20; perforations 22; and spaced edge notches 24. The notches are detected to indicate the position of the web relative to an exposure aperture, in the familiar manner, and may be on either side of the web depending on the type of processor used. Apparatus 10 includes a base 26 having an essentially flat surface 28 for contacting film 12 as it moves through the apparatus. An exposure aperture may be provided through surface 28. Adjoining flat surface 28 are a pair of cylindrical portions 30, 32 having curved film contacting surfaces 34, 36. The curvature of surfaces 34, 36 is chosen so that a film wrapped onto the surfaces will acquire sufficient lateral column strength to facilitate flattening against surface 28 as the film moves past. Film code readers have been positioned adjacent similar curved surfaces.
Opposite surfaces 34, 36 are positioned a pair of film deflector members 38, 40 having curved surfaces 42, 44 for engaging the edge portions of the film. Each of the deflector members is in the form of an elongated bar. To prevent scratching of the image portions of frames 20, members 38, 40 include reliefs 46, 48. Spaced upstream and downstream from surfaces 34, 36, outboard of deflector members 38, 40 along the path of movement of the film, are a further pair of cylindrical elements 50, 52 which bound valleys into which deflector members 38, 40 can move. Thus, when the deflector members are moved into the illustrated position, the film is deflected along a serpentine path extending over element 50, under deflector member 38, over surface 34, over surface 28, over surface 36, under deflector member 40, and over element 52. Due to the lateral column strength imparted by wrapping the film around the several curved surfaces as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,874, the film flattens well against surface 28 to facilitate printing.
Although the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has achieved a considerable measure of success, some problems have been encountered. Photographic film is sold in a considerable variety of formats which may differ in properties such as film thickness, stiffness and width. The apparatus of FIG. 1 is configured to handle films having a fixed width, meaning that several such apparatus must be available to enable a photofinisher to process films of various widths. Thus, a need has existed for such an apparatus which can readily adjust to accommodate films of various transverse widths.
The apparatus of FIG. 1 also is configured to accommodate only rather small variations in film thickness and stiffness, which influence considerably the degree of wrap onto surfaces 34, 36 and the depth of engagement of deflector members 38, 40, necessary to ensure good flatness of the film against surface 28. Thus a further need has existed for such an apparatus which can readily be adjusted to accommodate films of various widths.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,139 discloses an optical code reader for photographic film which can read bar codes present on the edges of the film just outside the perforations. A need has existed for a reader head embodying such a reader and including features for accurately adjusting the position of the reader head relative to the edge of a passing strip of film.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,874 also discloses a type of notch detector which can be adjusted in lateral position to align with notches 24. However, the range of adjustment is suited only for films having a fixed width. Thus, a need has existed for such an apparatus which can readily adjust to accommodate films of various transverse widths.